Coronavirus: Dedicated Isle of Man hotline launched

People on the Isle of Man with concerns about coronavirus can call 111

A dedicated coronavirus advice hotline for people on the Isle of Man has been launched.

The 111 telephone service will be managed by medical staff and is "purely for people concerned about Covid-19", Health Minister David Ashford said.

It would allow people with concerns to be dealt with "very quickly" and was an "innovation for the island", he added.

The Isle of Man confirmed its first positive case for the virus on Thursday.

The telephone line is now the only way members of the public can be "directed for testing" and service staff will notify people of their results.

Previously, members of the public had been advised to call their GP or the out-of-hours Manx Emergency Doctor Service for advice on coronavirus.

The hotline was modelled on, but is separate from, the UK's 111 service.

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In addition to the telephone service, an online coronavirus self-assessment form has been made available on the Manx government website.

Mr Ashford said the form would allow people to "see if the line is appropriate" before dialling.

People with other medical concerns should report issues "the same way that they do now" he added.

On Thursday, Mr Ashford announced that the Department of Health and Social Care would step up its testing for the virus and conduct a minimum of 30 a day.